A Warm Welcome to Roy Hodgson

A very warm welcome to our new manager Roy Hodgson, I am sure the fans will get behind him as we have always done with previous managers.
I expect there to be a vociferous minority of Rafaites who will make the usual noises but the vast majority of Reds will give our new man 100% support as we always do.

He will need time, that is for sure. And if you look at his success at Fulham it did not come immediately but only after the players understood what he wanted from them.

He speaks six languages, he is known by his players as someone who clearly communicates exactly what he wants. This comment can be heard time and again by players who have played under him. He quietly goes about organsing his team and beleives totally in the ethic of teamwork and players working hard to acheive their aims.

He is also a thoroughly decent man, not given to sensational histrionics nor creating divisons between the fans and the owners. Exactly what we need at this moment in time.

I believe Benitez lost the trust of the American owners by going public about the clubs internal affairs and was always going to be sacked once the results allowed them to do so.
I do not see the same public debate of private internal club matters being an issue under Hodgson. And that will be a welcome relief from a persoanl point of view. I and many other fans have had it up to to back teeth with Benitez and his confrontational, leaking internal information style of playing politics to acheive his personal aims.

I think Hodgson will acheive far more in the way of being given money to spend and I do not believe we will hear him complaing that he can't compete because the owners haven't given him enough money.

But let's get real here for a minute because already we are hearing certain idiots making comments that this man is not of a sufficient stature to be manager of LFC!

All I can say to these misguided fools it to take a reality check.

We have not won the league for 19 years, he is taking on the club in it's worst financial situation ever known, he has accepted to come to us for a fairly meagre salary by Prem standards so he isn't coming just for the money, he has agreed to come to club that is up for sale and he could be out of a job again very shortly. A club that is being run by the bank that holds the debt.

We should be thanking our lucky stars that he has agreed to come at all

Now his first job has to be to try and persuade the players HE wishes to keep, to stay. Then to get the best price possible for those he doesn't want. Establish just how big his overall transfer budget will be and cut his cloth accordingly.

Good luck to you Roy and may you restore our club back to the place we would all like it to be in the knowledge that we have no automatic right to win matches just because we are Liverpool. And once again welcome from the best supporters in the land.

Graham Chase

It is far from the case but it seems that Liverpool have been engulfed by complete and utter uncertainty, on and off the field, forever.

Now, with the imminent arrival of Roy Hodgson, finally comes a development that the club's long-suffering fans can rely on.

Had new owners looked to be mere weeks away then the appointment of a new permanent manager would have made little sense and Kenny Dalglish should have been the man to step in for a few weeks.

It can only be assumed that Hodgson knows as well as anyone that little can be guaranteed in the months to come and he is the best medium-term appointment a club can make, for what he can do both on and off the pitch.

His star is shining brightly after a successful stint at Fulham but, at 62, he has quite a CV to back up the plaudits he has now grown used to receiving.

Talk of a title challenge next season is fanciful and Hodgson will bring stability. He has shown he can work with what he has got and can inspire his players to buy into a tactical plan.

The 4-4-2 that dragged Fulham from a relegation scrap to the Europa League final fit his players perfectly and each had a clear idea of what was required, with body language that could not have been in sharper contrast with that of the Reds in the final months of last season.

Whether he works with the same principles once he arrives at Anfield remains to be seen but he is renowned for his knowledge of tactics and will find a way of making Liverpool hard to beat, a quality that has deserted them.

Results will always be at the top of the list of priorities but Hodgson will also bring calm and stability behind the scenes.

Once Hodgson puts pent to paper, he will work under the conditions he has agreed to and will not add to the club's problems as his predecessor Rafa Benitez often did.

Even the Spaniard's biggest fans would surely not deny Benitez possessed a taste for power games, which often worked to the club's detriment.

For a measure of that, just look at how Hodgson has dealt with being linked with the Liverpool and England jobs this year. No public courting, no quotes at all, in fact.

For those that are underwhelmed, get real. Liverpool are for up for sale and have the seventh-best squad in the Premier League, in need of an overhaul with little cash to spend. Their beloved, recently-departed manager somehow managed to lead the previous year's league runners-up to a seventh-placed finish ... in a four-horse race!

Even for a Martin O'Neill, coming to Anfield in those circumstances is too much of a gamble and for those who thought someone like Jose Mourinho, who chose to "slum it" with Real Madrid, would be attracted to that, dream on.

Hodgson will not quote lines from 'You'll Never Walk Alone' or play crude p.r. games designed to make himself popular with supporters (another Benitez penchant).

He will just get on with the job and Roy Hodgson is just what Liverpool need right now

ROY HODGSON’S managerial career spans nearly 35 years and involves stints at no fewer than 12 top flight European clubs and three international jobs.

The 62-year-old has won the Swedish and Danish league titles, reached two European finals and taken Switzerland to their first World Cup finals in 28 years.

Hodgson is a highly respected figure in the global football community and has enhanced his reputation since he took over at Fulham in December 2007.


When he arrived the Cottagers were slumped in the relegation zone but he transformed their fortunes and they stayed up on the final day.

In 2008/09 he guided Fulham to seventh place in the Premier League – their highest ever finish – and last season they reached the first major European final in their history. A remarkable run saw them knockout holders Shakhtar, Juventus and Hamburg on their way to the Europa League final where they lost 2-1 to Atletico Madrid. However, in the league they only won once away and ended up 12th.

Hodgson was voted the LMA Manager of the Year and won widespread praise for his achievements on a limited budget.

The Croydon-born boss’ journey to the top flight began with an undistinguished playing career in non-league football.

After moving into coaching, he landed his first job aged 28 at Swedish outfit Halmstads in 1976. Tipped for relegation, Hodgson led them to the title in his first season and repeated the trick in 1979.

“My greatest achievement would have to be that water into wine job,” he said.

In 1980 he returned to England to become assistant manager at Bristol City and two years later he took over at the helm. However, with the club in financial trouble he struggled to make an impact and in 1983 went back to Sweden.

After a spell at Orebro he moved to Malmo where he enjoyed five trophy-filled years. They won two Swedish Cups and finished top of the league five years in a row, although the play-off system meant he was only credited with two titles.

Keen to broaden his horizons, he moved to Switzerland to manage Neuchatel Xamax in 1990 and two years later took over as boss of the national team. The Swiss were beaten just once on their way to qualifying for their first World Cup since 1966 and reached the last 16 before losing to Spain.

Hodgson also led them to Euro ‘96, but quit before the tournament to take over at Inter Milan where the highlight was leading them to the 1997 UEFA Cup final where they lost on penalties to Schalke.

Hodgson finally got a crack at the Premier League when Blackburn came calling. But after a solid start at Blackburn it went swiftly downhill. Poor buys, injuries and dressing room unrest contributed to Rovers being bottom and in December 1998 Hodgson was sacked.

A brief second stint at Inter as caretaker boss followed in 1999 before returning to Switzerland to manage Grasshopper. Hodgson moved on to Denmark and in 2001 won the title with Copenhagen before Udinese offered him a return to Serie A but he was fired after just six months.

Spells with the United Arab Emirates and Norwegian outfit Viking followed before he took the Finland job in 2005. They failed to qualify for Euro 2008 but he had done enough to convince Fulham to take a chance on him.

HODGSON FACTFILE

Age: 62

Nationality: English

Current Role: Fulham manager

Previous Roles: Halmstads, Bristol City, Orebro, Malmo, Neuchatel Xamax, Switzerland, Inter Milan (twice), Blackburn Rovers, Grasshoppers, FC Copenhagen, Udinese, United Arab Emirates, Viking, Finland.

Honours: Swedish Championship (Halmstads -1976, 1979; Malmo - 1986, 1988), Swedish Cup (Malmo - 1986, 1989), Danish Superliga (FC Copenhagen - 2001), Danish Super Cup (FC Copenhagen - 2001).

He says: “I've never felt I needed to prove anything to people in England because I've always felt that most of the people who matter in England, the top football brass and the top managers, have been sufficiently impressed with what I have done.”

They say: “Roy brought a freshness in, and to get to this level shows we have come full circle. It was only two years ago we needed to win on the last day of the season to stay up, so it has been a fairytale in many ways and the manager deserves huge credit for that.” - Fulham skipper Danny Murphy

Hodgson has a 'massive' task - Aldridge
Wednesday, 30 June 2010 17:57
Former Liverpool striker John Aldridge has warned Roy Hodgson he has a 'massive job' on his hands at Anfield.


The club are expected to end their search for a replacement for Rafael Benitez by finalising the appointment of the Fulham boss by tomorrow morning.


Hodgson has been linked with the post for several weeks after emerging as first choice to take over from the Spaniard, who left Anfield on June 3.


The 62-year-old's name also cropped up as a potential replacement for Fabio Capello should he pay the price for England's dismal World Cup but negotiations have been ongoing with the Merseysiders for some time.


However, Aldridge believes the extent of the task Hodgson will have to do is akin to what the legendary Bill Shankly was faced with when he rebuilt the club in the 1960s.


'He's got a massive job on his hands at Liverpool,' said Aldridge.
'This is the most important stage in Liverpool's history since Bill Shankly took over with what's happening off the field with the owners and the lack of stability at the club.'


Benitez departed after Liverpool's worst season for 11 years, with the club finishing seventh in the Barclays Premier League.


Performances were not helped by uncertainty surrounding the sale of the club by co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett and the futures of Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard and Javier Mascherano.


Benitez's relationship with members of the Liverpool hierarchy and a lack of substantial transfer funds contributed to the Spaniard's exit.


Aldridge believes Hodgson has to decide very quickly his plan of attack and make key decisions in order to be able to move the club forward.


'Something has to happen as soon as possible; you have to go in and test the situation about which players need to go out, what you've got to bring players in and who you can keep,' added the former Republic of Ireland international.


'That's very important as Mascherano has been using the wild card about his wife [being unhappy] and there's question marks about Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard. They've got to be sorted out asap.'


Despite Hodgson lacking the glamour of a big-name overseas appointment or the sentimental appeal of a return for ex-player and manager Kenny Dalglish - who despite being involved in the selection process felt he could do the job - Aldridge believes the former Inter Milan and Blackburn boss has the credentials.


'His experience is fantastic with the jobs he's done in Italy and Switzerland (as coach of the national team),' he told Sky Sports News.


'He might have had a bad year or two at Blackburn Rovers, but when you've been in the game as long as he has, you are allowed a few mistakes.'


Hodgson was named League Managers' Association manager of the year after guiding Fulham to a runners-up place in the Europa League but he will have to do considerably better at Anfield if he is to appease supporters.


'While he may not have been the fans' choice ultimately he's in charge and he has got to be given the opportunity to do the job to the best of his ability,' said Les Lawson, secretary of the official LFC supporters' association.


'But what he achieved at Fulham would have been unacceptable if he achieved it here - there's more expectation.'


While Hodgson may be forced to work with a limited transfer budget he is certain of one new arrival after Standard Liege forward Milan Jovanovic confirmed once again he will be joining up next week.


The Serbia international, identified as a free transfer signing by Liverpool's former manager, has had to field questions about his future over the last couple of weeks after it was reported he was considering backing out of the deal to instead join Benitez at Inter Milan.


'I am going to Liverpool. I have signed there for three years. I repeat, no pre-agreement - a real contract,' the 29-year-old told Belgian newspaper Nieuwsblad.

'The departure of Benitez changes nothing. I have maintained contact with the executive board of Liverpool and everything is good.


'I am working to arrange my visa for England. Next week I go there to collect my work permit.


'Everything is in order as in the last two years I have played 75% of the matches for my national side. Next I am looking for a house.


'On July 14 or 15 I will join the squad for a training camp in Switzerland.


'But, as from Thursday, I want to start my individual training programme so I can show them immediately that I am worth a place in the side.'

Apparently the first signing that Red Roy would like to make is Hageland from Fulham.

I like this.

He is not looking to break the bank by signing a player who not only has never played in the Prem and possibly doesn't even speak English.

He is looking to sign a player he knows inside out, who is tried and tested in the Premier League no language problems who can go straight into the side.

I like your style Roy just the type of management we have been lacking.

Danny Murphy has backed Roy Hodgson as the right man to transform Liverpool's fortunes.

Hodgson is expected to be confirmed as Rafa Benitez's successor later on Thursday once his switch from Fulham is finalised.

Former Blackburn and Inter Milan chief Hodgson faces a stiff task at Anfield following a disappointing season last term and one of his first jobs will be to persuade the club's top stars to stay on Merseyside.

Murphy, who is being linked with a move back to Liverpool along with Hodgson, is a big admirer of the 62-year-old's management style and feels he is the right fit for the Reds.

"Liverpool need someone who has an understanding of the history and heritage that lies behind the club and what it means in the context of English football," Murphy told the Daily Mirror.

"People spoke about Mourinho, but I personally didn't see him as an ideal fit with Liverpool, because right now, they need someone who has an empathy for the club.

"I admire Roy Hodgson. He has a philosophy of playing good football which will fit well at Liverpool, and he gives players responsibility and a platform to work from.

"Maybe it is time Liverpool had an English manager who knows about the club."

Murphy added: "Roy is a talented manager who succeeds because he works incredibly hard.

"He instils confidence in his players and has a style the players can enjoy.

"His success has been a mix of a lot of things, but primarily hard work.

"He has real tactical knowledge too - in a way it has come from Roy's Italian (managerial) roots, it is an Italian style